Insulating with empty feed sacks and a cross-beak question

[ThomsonCentennialFarm]

Two-parter here:

Just thought I'd share this idea here, in case you're a saver like I am. I have been keeping our poly feed sacks for whatever reason.

(They do make great trash bags when cleaning up old metal, sticks or things that will poke through a regular trash bag.) Our temps have dropped the past few days though, and our young birds are out in the coop now making their introductions. The pullets are in a wire dog kennel, and seemed kind of chilled, so I split a couple of feed sacks and attached them to the sides of the kennel with zip ties. The improvement in temperature and the activity level of the pullets was markedly noticeable. It was a quick, easy and FREE way to block in some heat without having to buy anything.

Second, I have a cross-beak (I think pullet but might be a cockrel). It's developing a lot slower than the others though still has a full crop and gets plenty to drink when I check. I'm just wondering though if I should take it out from with the other pullets and keep it by itself so it can have an open pan of food, etc. If I do, should I put another pullet in with it to keep it company?

Thanks.

 

[Cattitude]

I've been using my feed sacks in a similar way! I'm stapling them to the sides of the pallet coop so that the wind can't cut right through. I'm thinking of making a "door" out of strips cut from the bags as well, like they have on construction sites or farmers' markets or meat packing plants. It sure beats sending those bags to a landfill!!

 

[ThomsonCentennialFarm]

Quote:
Oh! Great idea! I bet they would work on the nest boxes too, to give a little more privacy!

 

[Cattitude]

Wups, forgot about my answer to the cross beak question. I have one and she's keeping right up with the other chicks. Unless yours starts ailing, I'd keep her in the same pen. I took an old skillet to the brooder and I pour some feed in it each time I see it empty; I think it probably helps her get by.

 

[chicmom]

Hello!

Just this past weekend, I bought a bag of cracked corn and layer feed, and I was thinking the EXACT same thing! I thought, gee I wish I had saved all my feed bags, because I could use them in the same way I use tarps to block the wind around the chicken run. I would have had enough to do that if I had just saved them all. So now I am saving the bags for next year. I believe I could sew them together with a sewing machine, and then it would look like a patchwork tarp around the run....Which might be kind of cute, compared to the blue or brown tarps I normally use.

As far as the cross beak goes, I would keep an eye on her and if you do decide to separate her from the others, I would kind of watch her first, and see if she has a particular hen that is her buddy. No chicken likes to be alone. And if you put her food down, make sure the dish is a deep dish, so she can "scoop" up the food with her crooked beak. That will help her alot.

Good luck with her, and take care,
Sharon